A B.C. judge has approved a $4.5 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit brought by WestJet flight attendants against the airline. The B.C. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the settlement is “fair, reasonable and in the best interests of the class,” according to JFK Law LLP, the firm that has been handling the case. The judge’s reasons for approving the settlement have not been published online. The class action alleged that WestJet had breached the terms of employment contracts by failing to implement an adequate anti-harassment policy to protect flight attendants. The class action began after lead plaintiff Mandalena Lewis came forward with allegations of sexual assault against a pilot while the pair were on a layover in Hawaii. “The settlement applies to current and former female flight attendants who worked for WestJet mainline between April 4, 2014 and Feb. 28, 2021, and who did not opt out of the class action by June 8, 2024,” an update on the JFK Law website reads. “Based on the amounts approved by the court and anticipated settlement administration costs, we currently estimate that each eligible class member who submits a valid claim will receive approximately $470.” There are an estimated 3,500 members of the class. In addition to the monetary amount—which includes lawyer fees, administration costs and a $10,000 honorarium for Lewis as the lead plaintiff—the settlement requires WestJet to hire an independent third party to conduct an assessment of its workplace. The assessment must look into the prevalence of harassment, the extent of underreporting and how harassment reporting and response systems can be made more effective, according to JFK Law. The airline must share a summary of the results of this assessment with employees. “The settlement is a compromise of disputed claims,” the law firm’s update notes. “WestJet denies the allegations, which were not determined at trial, and the settlement does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing.” Members of the class do not need to submit a claim yet, according to JFK Law. There is a 30-day period following the court’s approval before the settlement becomes final. During that time, the court’s appointed administrator, Deloitte LLP, will set up an online claims portal for class members. Once the portal is ready, class members will be contacted by email with instructions for how to submit their claims, the law firm said. With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ben Miljure
